Robin Singh on Mumbai Indians: ‘You Don’t Win Five Times by Accident’

PC: Mumbai Indians

Robin Singh has worked across Indian and UAE cricket, including a long stint with Mumbai Indians. He is currently the director of Royal Desert Champions, a franchise in the Abu Dhabi T10 League.

In a conversation with Sudisha Sinha of RevSportz, Singh spoke about the demands of T10 cricket, squad selection, the lessons he has taken from Mumbai Indians, coaching and the development of UAE cricket.

Q. As a cricketer, how do you perceive T10 as a format, and how is it different from other formats?

Robin Singh: T10 is a little more familiar. It’s a tournament that started a few years ago. But it’s a pretty fast format. It’s almost like, what do I say, it’s like a fast-forward version of T20. So, one has to be pretty good in terms of execution. Skills are very important.

Q. How do you see India adopting or perceiving this particular format? What impact do you think it would have if the format were adopted in India?

Robin Singh: It’s like Test cricket. From Test cricket, you’ve gone to 50-over cricket, to T20. Then you have people who are specialists in T20. Now, if you look at T10 also, you need to be absolutely fearless. You can’t be afraid to get out. You know, you have to keep your options as simple as possible but as effective as possible.

Q. You are the director of Royal Desert Champions. What is the one thing you would want to tell the audience about this franchise at this stage?

Robin Singh: It’s a new franchise. The owners are very good. I’m there to help guide them, actually, on how to build this team and take it forward. I’ve coached for about four seasons. We’ve won three times. So, I know what it takes to win. It’s not just about T10; it will help them, you know, start building their franchise, building their fan base, building their set-up in the sport.

Q. Any comments on the squad selection? How is it going, and how are you planning to implement your approach?

Robin Singh: The squad is good; we’ve picked what we think are the best available people for us. So, when you put a team together, you have to understand the philosophy of the format. And yeah, there are no egos in this, if I may put it like that. You know, it’s very brutal for the bowlers. So, it’s a batsman’s game. As we know, T20 is; T10 is even worse.

Q. Do you think this franchise will have a combination of local and international talent? How will it build the franchise in the future?

Robin Singh: I don’t know what the future is or what the future rules are going forward. But obviously, if you build a franchise, you want everyone to perform well, which never really happens in any team. So, you have to look at the best combination possible, give everyone an equal opportunity, and give them the best chance and the best platform to succeed when they play for the franchise.

Q. We know that you worked with MI for 16 years. During that period, MI won five trophies. What sets the franchise, its players, support staff and coaches apart when it comes to winning a trophy? What does the environment inside the franchise look like?

Robin Singh: They’re very professionally set up. They’re pretty meticulous with the way they work. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t work. But you don’t win five times by accident. Let me put it like that. Very few franchises have won five times, barring Chennai. It’s not just one year of preparation. It takes years and years to do those things, like any successful organisation.

Q. You’ve also spent a significant amount of time in Indian and UAE cricket. What differences do you see between the two set-ups, having worked closely with both?

Robin Singh: In UAE cricket and Indian cricket, there is no comparison. Indian cricket is way superior. It’s a different approach, to be very honest. Because a lot of players come in and go and leave. So, you have to continuously keep rebuilding in that scenario. I think they need a lot of experience and exposure in this UAE set-up. So, it’s totally different. It’s about a mindset and believing that, in whichever set-up you play, ultimately, you need to be able to do well and perform.

Q. Have you been following India’s recent T20Is against the West Indies? What is your assessment of the performances in the last two matches, given your experience of working in both set-ups?

Robin Singh: I think the pitches are very batting-friendly, which is a little sad. You need to give the bowler a chance in the format. In any format, for that matter. I think in the white-ball format, the bowlers have very few options.

Q. It was very nice talking to you. To our viewers, keep watching RevSportz. Thank you so much, sir, for joining us.

Robin Singh: Thank you.

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